Wagon-jack.



W. M. LEWIS. WAGON JACK. APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1913.

1,074,184, I Patented Sept. 30, 1913.,

Inventor" Attorheys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM, LEWIS, or Nonronx, VIRGINIA.-

WAGON-JACK.

Application filed April 25, 191a.- Serial a... 763,683.

To all whom it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residin'gat Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and- State. of Virginia, have inventeda new and useful Wagon-Jack, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to jacks for wagons, automobiles and the like, one of. its A form of objects being to provide a novel jack constituting a part of the vehicle and which is normally held in inactive position under the body thereof, means bein ,.provided whereby, whemthe jack-is-re eased, it will shift downwardly into engagement with the surface on whichthe :vehiclefiis mounted so that, when the, vehicle is drawn forward, the jack will openateto elevate the adjacent wheels ofl of the supporting surface.

A further fobject is to' provide novel. positively means whereby the jack is shifted into engagement with the supporting surface and held yieldingly in supporting po- Sition after thev vehicle has been elevated.

A further object is to provide a'jack which can be applied readily to the axle of a vehicle already in use.

' With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accom anying drawingsthe preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a side 'elevation of a portion of a vehicle having a jack applied to each axle thereof, the jacks being supported in inactive ositions. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view 0 the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line A-B Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a portion of the vehicle, the rear jackbeing shown in supporting position while the front jack is shown lowered to the position assumed thereby immediately end of the-vehicle. to the'figurel by characters of .swing upon each of.

bail-shaped jack 5 having. terminal eyes 6' rear. axles, 3 designates the supporting Patented Sept. so, 1913.

v f reference land 2 designate thefrontand Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. LEWIS,-

wheels, and 4. the vehicle body. Mounted to Y the. axles fl and 2 isa which extend. loosely around the axle. The

intermediate portionv of each jack is pref erably formed with prongs 7 adapted to engage the ground when: the jack is lowered. Acoiled springfi is secured at one end to the vehicle body ata point back of the axle to which the jack is secured and this spring extends under the. axle. and is secured to the intermediate portion-of .the jack. Thus it will be seen that whenthejack is swung forwardly and upwardly upon the axle, spring 8 connectedthereto will be elongated and i isitherefore nec'essary'to use a book 9 or th like for engaging t e jack to hold it elevated' in inactive position. Stop fingers; are

extended downwardly from each axle, as

shown at 10 and are extended laterally so as to project intothe paths at the side portions of the jacks. These stop fingers are provided so as to' limit-the swlngingmovement of the jacks when they are released from their holding devices 9.

'When it is desired to elevate a vehicle, the fastening devices 9 are disengaged from the jacks and the said jacks immediately swing downwardly so as to bring the prongs 7 into engagement with the being facilitated by the Springs 8. The jacks thus each assume a position as shown at the left of Fig. 4:. By then pulling the vehicle forwardl the jacks will be caused to swing about the lower ends thereof as centers, thus causing the lower ends to shift past their centers of gravity until the jacks come against the stop fingers 10 Where they will be held yieldingly by the springs 8. The vehicle will thus be held supported with its Wheels out of contact with the ground, each jack assuming a position such as is shown at the right of'Fig. 4. Obviously by releasing only one of the jacks, the axle to which said ack is connected will be elevated while the wheels supporting the other axle will remain in contact with the ground. Importance is attached to the: articular arrangement of the spring ,vvh reby the one spring exerts a constant pull upon the jack and serves not only to shift it downwardly in contact with the ground but also to pull it rearwardl-y past itscenter ofgravity and against the stop fingers 10. When it is deground, this movement to reset the jacks it is merely necesush the vehiclerearwardly so as thus to orce the jacks past their centers of gravity whereupon the jacks can be swung upwardly so as to be reengaged by thefasteners 9. During this resetting of the jacks,

sary" to the springs 8 are elongated and are partly at one end to the free end of the ack and extending loosely under the axle and secured at its other end to constituting means the vehicle, said spring for drawing the jack downwardly into contact with the support-' surface and f01"ShlftlI1% 1 it rearwardly past its center of gravity 'w is raised, afstop device upon the axle for limiting the rearward movement of the jack past its center of gr' vity,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for device upon each en the vehicle and a fastening five'cents eeehgflg addressing the 4 Washington, D. 03'

device'for engaging the jack to hold it in inactive position.

2. The combination with a vehicle body and wheel supported axles connected thereto, of a bail-like jack mounted to swing upon each axle, means upon the r'ree end of each jack for engaging the surface on which the vehicle is mounted, a spring extending under each axle and secured at one end to the adjacent jack and at its other end'to the vehicle, fastening devices forengaging the jacks and holding them inactive, said springs constituting means for shifting the jacks, when released,downwardly into contact with the supporting surface and for shifting said jacks rearwardly past their centers of gravity when the vehicle is elevated itnd a stop axl'efor engagement by the adjacent jack to limit the rearward movement of the jack.

v In testimony that I claim' the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. a

1 I Y WILLIAM M. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

Jno. N. GIBRELL, In, CHAS. W. DAVIS.

commissioner of Patents, 

